IMPHAL — The Special NIA Court in Imphal has remanded S Palal Thadou, alias Lalboi Singson, to 10 days of police custody in connection with an April 7 IED attack in Manipur's Bishnupur district. Thadou is suspected of being the finance head of the proscribed United Kuki National Army (UKNA).

The arrest on Wednesday marks the first made in the National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the bombing at a residential house in Tronglaobi Awang Leikai. The blast killed two minor children and injured another person.

The NIA took over the case from Moirang Police Station, where it was initially registered as FIR No. 23(4)2026, and re-registered it on April 23 as RC-04/2026/NIA/IMP under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Explosive Substances Act, and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

According to Manipur Police, Thadou had previously been arrested by Churachandpur and Bishnupur police in separate cases and allegedly admitted to being the finance head of the UKNA. Investigators have also linked him to several other violent events:

• A bombing on December 16, 2025, at Tronglaobi.
• A firing incident at Molnom during the intervening night of February 3 and 4.
• A firing incident on March 26 and an incident involving a CRPF camp.
• A firing incident in the Kaprang area on July 4, shortly before Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh's scheduled visit to Churachandpur.
• Additional firing incidents occurring in March and July.

The UKNA has denied involvement in the April 7 attack, describing allegations linking the group to the bombing as baseless and misleading. The NIA stated that further investigation will focus on identifying other suspects and establishing the wider network behind the conspiracy.